:=: Samantha :=:

Samantha was frowning, trying not to outright glare at anyone. She looked at the four of them, as they sat around the dining table. Nikki was across from her, Kara was to her right, Jess and Cindy on her left. They'd brought Sam's chair over from her desk, so Cindy had a place to sit.

Cindy had a sort of hopeful grin on her face, and Nikki looked distant, thoughtful, distracted. She'd been like that since yesterday. Sam still hadn't got to the bottom of her girlfriend's problem, but for the moment she had more pressing matters to deal with.

Jess and Kara both looked anxious. For Kara, it seemed to be the default. She'd looked sort of uneasy every time Sam had met her. As for Jessica, she was in trouble and she knew it.

Sam fixed her frown on her sister, and stated "So, Jessica. Nicole and I weren't even gone for one hour, and you told both Kara and Cindy about our relationship with the Goddess, and about the work we do in Her name. And now they both want to join us."

Jess sighed, "I told Kara. Cindy was just eavesdropping. And anyways, Cindy's already met Her twice, and Kara already knew about the magic... I didn't think it was gonna be such a huge deal?"

Samantha shook her head. "The most important part of our 'secret club' Jessica, is the 'secret' part!" She glared a bit, then sighed, and finally leaned back in her seat and bit her lower lip.

The others stayed quiet for now, nobody wanted to interrupt while she was in 'lecture mode' apparently.

After a minute or so, Sam sighed again, and looked at the tall wiry blonde. "Ok. Kara, I think we can trust you. I don't have any objections to letting you join us. And maybe having you on the team will help Jess focus a little better."

Kara nodded slightly, "Uh... Thanks..." She was clearly still uneasy.

Cindy then piped up, "What about me? I wanna be in the 'Witches of Welland' too!"

Samantha turned and gave her sister an exasperated look. "You even told them that name you came up with?! What's next Jessica? A 'Witches' Twitter account? A Facebook page?"

Jess sank back a little more into her chair, "Sorry..."

Sam was still glaring at her sister when Cindy asked again, "So? Can I join you guys?"

Samantha then looked at the girl and shook her head, "Absolutely not. You can't keep a secret even when you're magically compelled to, and I don't trust you. And you're too young."

The small teen protested, "I'm twenty-two! I'm older than both Jess and Kara!"

Sam stated angrily, "Yet you act like you're twelve!"

Cindy pouted, "That's just cos I got cursed..."

Sam rolled her eyes, "Please. You acted like a spoiled brat even when you were twenty-two."

Cindy pouted more, "Still not fair..."

Samantha frowned at her, "Listen young lady, if you want to be treated like a grown-up, you'll start acting like one. Keep acting like a child, and that's how we'll treat you."

The small teen just sighed and slumped back in her chair.

Jessica smiled a little, "Wow sis... That's some powerful mom-energy you've got going on right now."

Sam glared at her sister again, "Well apparently nobody else is going to be the adult here, so it's up to me."

She then sighed again, then looked back at Cindy, "I've already made some calls on your behalf, Cindy. A social worker will be coming by tomorrow to meet with you, and we're going to try to get you placed into a group home. From there, you'll be able to get re-established, and start building a new life for yourself."

Cindy was still pouting. Now she folded her arms across her chest and grumped, "I don't wanna go to some 'group home'. I wanna stay here with you guys."

Kara frowned at the girl and asked, "Why? Didn't you used to hate us? You always acted like a jerk towards Jess and me."

Cindy sighed, "I'm not like that any more, and I don't hate you. You guys are fun, and interesting, and all this magic stuff is kinda exciting? At least, it's exciting when it's not happening to me."

Sam shook her head. "I'm sorry Cindy, but we can't keep you here." The last thing Sam wanted was for the girl to stick around here any longer than she had to. Even if Jess was feeling sorry for the kid and wouldn't let them kick her out, Sam couldn't forget what Scott had done to her sister.

She could tell the girl was about to ask why not, and Sam cut her off, "For a multitude of reasons. We don't have the room, and we don't have the means to look after you. Nikki works full-time, and I have studies. As do Jessica and Kara. There's also legal issues, people are going to question if a minor is just suddenly living with us and doesn't attend school or anything. We just can't keep you here."

She watched, as Cindy sighed and stared down at the table, her lower lip trembling. She looked like she was going to cry.

They still didn't know all the details of what the Goddess had done to Cindy, and though she didn't act like the overconfident entitled jock any more, she was still an annoying brat at times. It made it easy to forget she was also a frightened, vulnerable young teen.

However, there weren't any tears. Instead, Cindy got a slightly hopeful look on her face. She looked up at Sam and asked, "What if I ask for sanctuary?"

Samantha could see Jessica and Kara both frowning, looking curious. Nicole was still just looking distracted, she hadn't said a word through any of this.

"What do you mean, 'sanctuary'?" Sam asked.

Cindy shrugged, "Well... you're all talking about like a Goddess and stuff? It's a thing, I think? Like if someone comes to your church or temple or whatever you guys call it, and asks for sanctuary, don't you hafta help them?"

Sam frowned, then shook her head, "I don't really think that's a thing, Cindy..."

"Sanctuary is in fact a 'thing', Samantha." Across the table, Nikki rose to her feet. Except it wasn't Nicole there now. Her voice, glowing eyes, and perfect posture confirmed, this was the Goddess. "And your home is also My temple."

Samantha's eyes widened slightly, "Oh..." She glanced at the others.

Cindy had curled up on her chair in fear, she had an arm covering her face, the other hugging her knees to her chest. Jessica was sitting up straight now, looking nervous. And Kara's eyes were wide, as she was sitting well back in her chair. She looked as though she wanted to back up all the way out of the apartment and into the corridor. Of them all, Kara was the only one who'd never met the Goddess before.

The Goddess turned Her attention on Sam's sister and asked, "Jessica, your assailant comes to Our temple and pleads Sanctuary. Would you welcome her, despite the harm she brought upon you?"

Jess gulped, but nodded, "Yes, I do. She's already paid your price for what she did. And I..." Jessica hesitated a moment, then said "I forgive her."

Sam couldn't hide the frown as she looked at her sister. Jessica knew Sam didn't like the kid and didn't trust her, and certainly didn't want her around. And she couldn't understand why her sister would forgive the girl so quickly.

The Goddess turned Her attention on the terrified girl. "Look at me, child."

Cindy trembled a little but she lowered her arm and looked up. The Goddess's eyes seemed to glow a little brighter, and Cindy's eyes widened.

As Sam watched, a few tears rolled down the girl's cheeks but she stayed still as her eyes and the Goddess's seemed locked together. After a moment Samantha realized there was some kind of communication happening between them. Telepathy or something.

Finally, the Goddess asked, "Do you accept these terms, and agree to Our rules, child?"

The teen wiped the tears from her face and nodded. She whispered, "I accept...I agree."

The Goddess then turned towards Kara, and the tall blonde almost jumped when she found herself the subject of attention.

"Kara Duncan, do you agree to keep Our secrets - better than Jessica has - and uphold Our rules?"

Jess cringed a bit in her seat when her name was mentioned.

Kara gulped, but nodded. "Yes, I do... I mean, I agree..."

The Goddess nodded slightly, "So be it."

Nikki then slumped back into her chair, looking exhausted and upset.

Samantha sighed. The whole thing had happened so quickly she hadn't had a chance to ask any questions, or voice her opinion. She then frowned, as she realized there was an unmarked manilla file folder resting in the middle of the table. That had not been there before.

As she leaned forward to pick it up, Nikki got to her feet.

Sam watched as her girlfriend moved to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of wine. She took a single glass from the cupboard, and without a word she walked to their bedroom and closed the door behind her.

With a sigh, Sam opened the folder. Inside were three documents.

The first was an Ontario birth certificate, in the name of Talbot, Cindy Anne. Date of birth was given as November 15, 2004. Sam raised an eyebrow. That meant it was Cindy's sixteenth birthday today.

The second was a new Ontario Health Card, also in Cindy's name. Sam's eyebrows both went up, as she saw the attached paperwork indicated Cindy's home address was Sam and Nikki's condo.

The third was another sheet of paper, a signed and notarized court order. Sam's expression shifted to a frown. The document stated that Samantha Carlisle, Nicole Elliot, and Jessica Carlisle, were now jointly the legal guardians of one Cindy Talbot, effective today, November 15th, 2020.

Sam then handed the folder to her sister, who glanced at the contents, looking surprised.

Samantha just sighed, and shook her head. "I have to go and check on Nikki. Please... The three of you... Try not to screw anything else up."

With that, Sam turned and headed for the bedroom.

:=: Jessica :=:

After the bedroom door closed behind Samantha, Jess let out a sigh of relief. Then she grinned, "We survived!"

Kara also sighed, and Jess could see the tension slowly unwinding from her best friend's face.

Cindy was also finally relaxing. She wiped the last few tears from her face, then exclaimed "Hey! I got a tattoo!" She held her right arm out, showing off the small black mark on her inside wrist.

"Cool!" Jess smiled and held her own arm out, "It's not as fancy as mine, but it means you're part of the club."

Kara's eyes widened as she looked at her own wrist. She then looked at Jessica's arm, "I've never seen that before! How have you been hiding it?"

Jessica grinned. The markings on her wrist were pretty hard to ignore. There were two words spelled out in complex runes, and overall the tattoo was about two or three inches long and half an inch high. The first word represented the Name of the Goddess, and the second was a word which translated as either 'scribe' or 'artist'.

"It's invisible, to the uninitiated. You two can see it now, because you've both just been initiated."

The marks on both Kara and Cindy's wrists were much smaller. They each had just a single glyph, about a half inch square. Theirs were both identical, and Jess figured it just marked them as followers of the Goddess. It didn't seem to translate to anything in particular.

She then added, "Sam and Nikki have them too. Theirs are kind of like mine, but with different words? Sam is the 'priestess' and Nikki is the 'embodied'."

Cindy was still staring at her wrist, and asked, "So nobody else can see this but us?"

Jessica nodded, "Yeah. Which in your case is good. We're gonna have enough awkward questions to deal with, without having to explain why a sixteen-year-old has a magical runic tattoo." She then added, "Oh by the way, happy birthday. You're sixteen today."

Jess opened the file folder and spread the three documents out on the table, for Cindy and Kara to see.

Cindy grinned, "I get to stay with you guys!"

Kara frowned, "She's kind of small for sixteen. Wouldn't it have been more believable to say she was fourteen or fifteen?"

Jess saw something in Cindy's expression for just a moment. A flicker of sadness perhaps, but then she grinned as she stated, "Sixteen's old enough to drive a car!"

Jessica corrected her, "At sixteen you can get your learners permit and start lessons. But even if you got your learners tomorrow and took the road test in a week, you're still stuck with the graduated licensing. Two more years before you're fully licensed."

Cindy frowned, "That's so unfair! I know how to drive, I've had a licence for years."

Jess teased, "What's it matter anyways, you don't have a car. And even if you did, you probably couldn't reach the pedals!"

Cindy stuck out her tongue at Jess, then pouted.

Jessica then asked, "Cindy, when the Goddess was staring at you, was She talking to you? She said there were terms you had to agree to?"

Cindy's expression became sort of sullen and she looked down at the table, "Yeah... She got rid of the spell that was stopping me from talking, but then She gave me some rules and stuff, and no loopholes this time. And She said I could learn magic with you guys but I wouldn't be allowed to do spells till I'm eighteen."

Jess asked, "What were the rules?"

Cindy shrugged, "The main one was, I can't talk about any of this stuff to anyone who doesn't already know."

Jessica nodded, "Makes sense." Then she smiled, "Hey, since it's your birthday, what do you want to do?"

The girl's mood shifted and she grinned again, "Pizza and beer? And then video games!"

Jess laughed, "Video games yes, pizza yes, beer no. You can have soda. I wonder if we can get some cake delivered..."

"Do I get presents too?" Cindy asked hopefully.

Jess rolled her eyes, "You just got that game console this morning!"

Kara then spoke up. She was frowning a little and actually sounded a bit annoyed.

"Jessica you need to take this seriously." She pointed to the court order on the table. "Do you understand what this means? You three are now legally responsible for this girl! That means her health, her education. It means keeping her clothed, and fed. It means looking after her. And it means if she goes out and gets in trouble, you three are responsible for her! It's like you just adopted a sixteen-year-old girl! How are you going to have time for university? You and Sam are full-time students, Nikki has a full-time job! For fuck sake Jess, you're only two years older than Cindy, you're almost still a kid yourself!"

Jess went silent, as she listened to her friend's words. She looked from Kara, to Cindy, then down at the court order. She sighed and rubbed her forehead, "Oh... fuck."

They all went quiet for a few minutes. Kara and Cindy were both watching her, as Kara's words slowly sank in. They'd have to get the teen enrolled in high-school. There'd be doctor's appointments, dentist appointments. Jess remembered what she was like two years ago. Suddenly thinking about it from her mom and dad's point of view, how had they managed?

Finally the silence was broken when Cindy asked, "We're still gonna get pizza though, right?"

:=: Samantha :=:

Nicole was sitting cross-legged on the bed. She drained her wine-glass, then picked up the bottle from the bedside table, and poured herself another.

Sam watched from just inside the door, and sighed. Her girlfriend wasn't enjoying her wine, she was just drinking it. It looked like she simply wanted to be drunk.

"Nikki... Please tell me what's wrong? This isn't like you, and I'm worried."

Nicole looked at her, and sighed. She gestured to the bed, "Pull up a chair."

Sam sat at the foot of the bed, and watched as Nikki had another deep sip of wine, then took a breath.

"I've been having black-outs. Not passing out, not fainting. Just... I'm doing something, and I think a minute or two has passed, but then I discover it's been an hour. Or more. It happened last weekend when I was working in the restaurant? I took a five-minute break around nine o'clock, and literally two or three minutes later it was suddenly almost ten... Everyone was looking for me, they thought I'd passed out in the washroom or something."

Sam's eyes widened, "What... Do you know what's going on, Nikki?"

Nicole shrugged, "I was sent home from work after that. I didn't want to worry you so I didn't say anything, but... I spent all day Monday and Tuesday last week getting check-ups, blood-work, CT scan, the works. Wednesday the doctor said I'm in good health. No medical reason. She wants me to see a shrink, she thinks it's psychological." Nikki paused, then sighed, "Yesterday afternoon, I figured it out."

Sam frowned, "What do you mean? What is it?"

Her girlfriend sighed, "It's the Goddess. Last Saturday night, between nine and ten o'clock? She was out cursing Scott Matthews, remember? I'd been at work and She just... Switched me off and took over? I disappeared or something, I don't know. Then when She was done using me, she switched me back on, and I had no idea anything had even happened..."

Nikki drained her glass again, then said "It's like it's not even my life, my body. I'm just keeping it warm for when She needs it. I don't even know when she does it, unless there's something to clue me in. The time last week, was the fourth one that I know about. How many other times has it happened, that I didn't even notice?"

Samantha's eyes were wide and she was holding her hand over her mouth. She had no idea this was going on, she'd never noticed anything. She couldn't imagine what her girlfriend was going through.

"Nikki I'm so sorry... Maybe... Maybe She doesn't know how much it's bothering you? We can try talking with Her..."

Nicole shrugged, "I agreed to this, Sam. Last year? I willingly offered myself to Her... I guess it's just... It's finally starting to sink in now, exactly what that means. I've really given Her everything..."

Sam could see Nikki's eyes starting to pool a little with tears.

"Sam, I love you, I don't want to lose you... I don't want to lose the life we have here. And Jessica... She's got a good life now... Kara seems nice.... Hell even Cindy's starting to grow on me somehow and she's only been here a day." She sighed, "It's like... Everything just seems so perfect? But I can't relax and enjoy it any more, because I know at any moment I could just... disappear. Whenever She wants to use my body for something. And it's tearing me up and I'm afraid of saying something, incase She takes it all away..."

Samantha got up and moved around the bed. She took the empty glass from Nikki's hand and put it on the table, then sat down and pulled her girlfriend into her arms. "Nikki we're not going to go away, nothing's going to happen to you. We'll work this out. We'll solve it. I promise."

Nicole sighed but she hugged Sam back.

After a minute or two, Sam then asked softly, "I absolutely hate to ask this now Nikki, but... I need to speak with Her. Directly."

Sam could feel her girlfriend's muscles tense a little. She knew it was a hard thing to ask, considering how Nikki was feeling right now, what she'd just told her. But Sam didn't want to wait. She had to do something about this immediately.

Nicole then pulled back, sitting up straight.

Samantha moved back a little as well. She wasn't sure, but didn't think it was appropriate to be hugging the Goddess.

"You wished to address me, Samantha?"

Sam nodded, "Yes. We have some problems. First and foremost, is about Nicole."

Samantha took a deep breath then continued, "We understand that you need to use her body sometimes, that was the deal. But the way you've been doing it... It's causing her a great deal of distress. And 'borrowing' her when she's at work, will get her into trouble with her bosses, and jeopardize her job. So I have some requests, if I may?"

The Goddess's expression did not reveal anything, as she listened to Sam's words. She simply stated, "I'm listening."

Sam bit her lower lip for a moment, then asked, "When you have need of her, could you please warn her first? And if she's working... Could you either wait, or allow her to make other arrangements? And when you do take over, instead of just 'turning her off', could you allow her to be aware of what is happening? Or at the very least, let her know when it starts and when it ends, so she... So she has a better grasp of what is happening to her."

The Goddess remained impassive as She asked, "And you feel comfortable making these requests of Me, Samantha?"

Sam gulped a little, but nodded. "Yes. I'm your priestess, and Nicole is both your vessel and my partner. I believe it's my duty to keep her healthy, and that includes her state of mind. I... I know this may be unusual to you, and I'm sure things were very different in the past. But we still have to deal with other people, and jobs, and responsibilities. And I need to make sure Nikki is healthy, in mind as well as body."

She then asked, "What else is on your mind, Samantha?"

Sam then gestured towards the bedroom door. "It's about Cindy. I know Jessica is determined to help the kid, and I had no idea about that sanctuary stuff till it came up, but... We just don't have the resources to take care of her. We don't have the space, she can't keep sleeping on the sofa. And we don't have the money. It costs a lot to raise a kid. Clothes, food, school supplies, and so on. We've already spent too much on her, between the new clothes and that game she talked Nikki into buying..."

The Goddess nodded slightly, "I understand." There was a pause, then she stated, "I have addressed your concerns regarding Cindy. I will consider your requests regarding Nicole."

Nikki then slumped a little, and sighed.

Samantha leaned forward and gave her girlfriend another hug and a kiss. Nikki hugged her back, taking another few minutes to recover again.

Eventually, Nikki got up. Taking the glass and the half-empty bottle, she headed for the door. She opened it, but then just stood there staring out into the apartment. Finally she looked back and said, "Uh, Sam?"

Samantha frowned and got up and moved to the door with Nikki. She looked out the door, and her eyes widened.

The opposite wall, where Sam's desk had stood along with two bookcases, now held two doors. There hadn't been any doors there before and the desk and bookcases were nowhere in sight.

Nikki headed to the kitchen, while Sam moved to the other side of the living-room to take a closer look.

The door closest to the windows led to a bedroom that was sort of a mirror of Sam and Nikki's master bedroom. This one was a little smaller, but like the master bedroom it had an ensuite bathroom and a walk-in closet. And like their bedroom, the north wall in this room was also floor-to-ceiling windows, with the same great view of the lake. The room was already furnished with a queen-sized bed and a pair of bedside tables.

Jessica and Kara were standing next to the bed, and Jess smiled to Sam, "I already called dibs on this one."

Kara was still looking around, "This is really nice..." She then grinned at Jess, "Do you need a roommate?"

Samantha just sighed and shook her head, and checked the next door. This was a smaller bedroom, similar in size to the existing guest-room. There was a twin-sized bed, a small desk and chair, and a dresser. Cindy was already in here, and her bag of clothes was sitting on the bed.

She grinned at Sam, "I got my own room!"

Sam sighed again, and walked back across the apartment to check the guest room. She found her desk and bookcases in here, along with the desk they'd just bought last week for Jessica. Apparently, the guest room was now an office. The sofa-bed was still here, though it was folded back up into a sofa again now.

Samantha pulled out her chair and slumped into it, then leaned against her desk and shook her head. She'd been expecting the Goddess to reverse Her decision about Cindy staying with them, not to turn their comfy little condo into a four-bedroom suite.

After a few minutes, Nikki came into the office and put a hand on her back, rubbing her shoulders.

"You ok hon? You look stressed."

Samantha sighed, "Nikki, She just changed reality again, doubled the size of our home. I'm... I'm not happy, but regardless, we still can't afford this. We're going to have all kinds of extra expenses if we have to take on a teenager. Not to mention all the responsibilities..."

Nikki replied, "We'll manage with the responsibilities. The three of us will pitch in, and I'm sure it'll be stressful at first. But things will settle down and it'll be ok."

Sam shook her head, "I don't know... And how are we going to explain this to our families? It'll be the holidays next month, we can't leave Cindy here alone, we'll have to bring her along... how do we explain to your folks and mine, that we've 'acquired' a bratty young teen?"

Nicole shrugged, "I don't know hon. But we will. And it'll be fine."

Sam turned and looked up at her girlfriend, "How are you so calm about this?"

Nikki smiled, "Sam, ten minutes ago you demanded an audience with the Goddess, then you gave her a stern talking-to. You literally lectured our Goddess. I know you're stressed right now, but when it comes down to it, I believe you can handle anything."

Samantha couldn't help herself, and smiled a little. "I really did that, didn't I..." She then she became serious again. "And the money?"

Nikki then handed her a folder, "This was on the kitchen counter."

Sam felt a little aprehensive as she opened it. Inside she found a bank card, a bank statement, and a letter. Apparently they had a new bank account, which received a stipend of two thousand dollars on the first of every month. It started in October, and the account had four grand in it now.

Samantha sighed again and closed the folder and put it on her desk.

She knew this was supposed to make her feel better, but it didn't. So much magic, being used so casually. Too many changes. It worried her. She didn't really have any concrete reason for it, nothing she could point to, but it just felt like too much.

Nikki started massaging her neck and shoulders, "You're tense, hon... Just take it easy. Jess said they're ordering pizza. Apparently today's Cindy's birthday, so we're going to have a little celebration."

Sam sighed once more, "Were you serious, that the girl's started growing on you?"

Nikki replied softly, "Yeah... Maybe in a way we're sort of kindred spirits? I mean... Scott and Nick were both complete assholes, and neither of them asked for what happened to them, though they both deserved it... But I think I've made the most of how things turned out for me? And I think I'm a better person for it. Maybe it'll work out the same for Cindy." She then added, "Anyways, I think she deserves a second chance. Jess forgave her."

Samantha nodded slowly as she thought about that. The similarities between Cindy's and Nikki's situations hadn't really occurred to her before, but then she'd only briefly met Nick. She hadn't known Scott well either, but she'd heard of him, and seen him around campus over the last 3 years.

She finally shrugged, "Maybe... Thanks love."

:=: Jessica :=:

Jess hurried out as soon as the class ended. It was noon and she was hungry, but she had to get to Mr. Preston's office and it was in another building.

Today was Wednesday, and she'd missed another two days of school. Now her favourite prof wanted to see her. She'd missed his class two weeks in a row, and she was scared he was going to kick her out. Last week she'd been recovering from her assault. This week was completely different.

Over the weekend, Sam had contacted Maria Watson, a social worker who did some volunteer work for Sam and Nikki's nonprofit org. Maria was to come and do an assessment of Cindy on Monday, and Jess had to spend the day at home with Cindy while that was going on. There'd been about an hour or so that Maria had sort of interviewed Cindy and herself, then Maria had helped the girl fill out several questionnaires, and then there'd been some aptitude tests on Maria's laptop.

Maria would send them a final report soon, but before she left, she'd told Jess that Cindy was a strange case. According to Maria, the teen's affect varied widely, from playful, to serious, to sad. And she found it difficult to determine the girl's education level. Her vocabulary and language skills seemed about college level, but her math skills were extremely poor. Maria had thought Cindy might have dyscalculia.

Then they'd spent all day Tuesday dealing with medical stuff. In the morning she'd taken Cindy to see Dr. Stevens, Sam and Nikki's family doctor, for a full check-up. The doctor had said Cindy's size was slightly worrying. She was exactly five feet tall, and weighed only 89 pounds. Apparently that was more appropriate for a girl of twelve. There was some awkwardness when Cindy was unable to say when her last period had been, but apart from that, the doctor said her development was perhaps a little behind for her age, but not enough to be a concern.

The doctor also ordered a bunch of blood tests and some x-rays, so Jessica and Cindy had spent the afternoon doing that. They'd get the results from those tests back in a day or two. In the meantime, the doctor recommended that they make sure the girl was eating right and getting her vitamins, and had said it was possible Cindy might have another growth spurt in the next year or two, especially if she was eating a nutritious diet.

All in all, Jess had been run ragged in just two days looking after the girl. Today, Sam was staying home with Cindy, and Maria was visiting again as they were going to be looking into schooling options.

Finally Jess got to Mr. Preston's office, and knocked at the door.

"Come in." Mr. Preston called from inside.

Jessica opened the door and stepped in, closing it behind her. It was a small room, the walls decorated with several drawings and a few paintings, all carefully framed and hung. None were his own work, they were all gifts from various students he'd taught over the years. His desk was small and stacked with books and magazines and folders. There was a laptop precariously balanced ontop of a pile of papers.

Mr. Preston was sitting in a creaky old chair, and he smiled, "Hello Jessica. Please, have a seat." He gestured toward the other chair. It was a very simple metal and plastic affair, and looked like he'd 'borrowed' it from one of the dining halls.

Douglas Preston was her favourite, and he was also the oldest prof she had. He was in his late sixties, and to Jessica's eyes he looked frail. He was about five-foot-eight, and he looked underweight, verging on gaunt. His thin hair was silver and sort of wispy, short and a bit unkempt, and he spoke with a thin, raspy voice. He usually wore dark corduroy pants and a sweater, that was invariably stained with ink or graphite dust. Jess suspected the old teacher's health was failing, but he was still leading his class every week, and he had a keen mind and sharp eyes.

She sat down, and asked, "You wanted to see me, sir?"

He nodded, "Call me Doug. I'm a little worried about you, Jessica. You're a promising student, and you have very good drawing skills. You had excellent attendance for the first two months. But now, you've missed my class twice in a row."

Jess sighed, "I know. I'm sorry sir, I mean, Doug. We've had some... family stuff going on and unfortunately things are going to be really mixed up for me for a little while. It'll settle down eventually, but I just need some time to get things sorted."

She could see his eyes on hers. He was studying her, and maybe trying to evaluate how honest she was being. Finally his expression shifted to concern. "Would you like to tell me about it, Jessica? What's been going on?"

Jess hesitated, but then nodded. "I've had to move in with my sister and her girlfriend, and the three of us are taking care of my sixteen year old cousin, Cindy." They hadn't actually figured out yet what story they'd be using to explain why the girl was staying with them, but cousin was as good as any right now.

Mr. Preston commented, "That's a lot of responsibility you and your sister are taking on..." He was about to say more, when he suddenly started coughing.

Jess became concerned for him as the coughing fit seemed to go on longer than seemed normal. She saw he had some tissues in his hand, that he was coughing into. When he finally finished, he quickly dropped them in the nearby wastebasket. As he did, Jess caught sight of something bright red.

She frowned, "Mr. Preston, are you ok?"

He sipped some water from a glass he had hidden behind a stack of books, then shook his head, "Nothing for you to concern yourself with, Jessica."

Jess was still frowning, and when he turned to set the glass back down she cast the truth spell. "You're sure, sir? I don't want anything to happen to you..."

He smiled a little, "I'll be fine, my dear. Now, we're here to discuss your situation, not mine. Do you expect to be missing more of my classes in the future?"

Jessica clenched her teeth for a moment, trying not to react to what she saw. Her favourite prof was most definitely not fine. She could see the truth he wasn't saying. Inoperable lung cancer, stage three. This would be his last year teaching. Assuming he was even able to make it to the end of the year. His doctor had told him, he only had about a 50/50 chance of lasting till next June.

After a second or two, he asked, "Jessica? Are you ok?"

She blinked, and realized she'd been staring. She shook her head, then nodded, "Yes, sorry... I was just... Distracted. Sorry sir. I mean, Doug..."

Mr. Preston watched her for a few more seconds, then asked her again, "How many more classes do you expect to miss?"

Jessica replied, "Hopefully none. I'm going to try to have things moved around... I mean, I'll probably still miss more classes, but hopefully no more of yours. It was just sort of, bad luck that everything happened at the start of the week. But between me and Sam and Nikki, we're going to try and juggle it so none of us has to miss too much."

Doug nodded, "And Sam and Nikki, are your sister and her partner?"

"Yeah." Jess nodded. "Samantha's my sister, and Nicole is her girlfriend." She then added, "Kara's also going to help out too when she can."

"Kara Duncan?" Mr. Preston asked.

Jessica nodded, "Yeah. She won't be missing classes because of this, but she volunteered to help out when she can, if it doesn't interfere with her work." She added, "Kara's also been giving me copies of assignments and sharing her notes and stuff, from when I've missed class, so I can try and keep up."

Doug nodded again. "Ok Jessica... I think that's all for now. Thank you for seeing me, and thanks for letting me know. I do hope things work out ok for all of you." He checked his watch, "You still have plenty of time for lunch, I think. I'll see you next Monday, yes?"

Jess nodded, "Yes sir. Thank you." She stood up and left, closing the door again behind her. She sighed as she hurried towards the dining hall, hoping to catch Kara there.

:=: Kara :=:

Kara was almost finished lunch when Jessica arrived and sat down next to her. Jess was carrying a plate with a sandwich in one hand, and a can of cola in the other, and she looked a bit harried.

"How'd it go with Mr. Preston?" Kara asked, then popped the last couple fries into her mouth.

Jess opened her soda and replied, "Ok... He was worried about me missing class. He's not kicking me out or anything. I had to tell him about Cindy, but he understood."

Kara nodded, "Told you he wasn't gonna kick you out."

Jess took a bite of her sandwich, but she was frowning. Kara watched her for a few moments, she could tell something was still bothering her friend.

After a few more bites of her lunch, Jessica glanced around slightly, then leaned closer to Kara. She whispered, "He's dying... Lung cancer... He might not make it to the end of the year."

Kara was surprised, and she could see how upset Jess was. The redhead was trying not to let it show too much, but she was definitely bothered. Kara knew Preston was her favourite teacher.

"He told you that?" Kara whispered back.

Jess shook her head. Keeping her voice low she said, "I magicked the truth..." She then hesitated, and asked, "Kara, do you think Sam and Nikki would let us help him?"

Kara frowned a little. "I don't think he's gay or queer or whatever, and he's sure not young. And that's kinda the 'deal' with Sam and Nikki isn't it? Helping young queer people?"

"I know... but I don't think they ever said we specifically couldn't help anyone else?" Jess sighed.

Kara shrugged, "No idea. Why don't you ask them?"

Jess nodded, "I will... I think I'll ask Nikki though. Sam's been super stressed lately, and I don't want to add to it with this stuff."

Kara nodded, "Samantha was right you know. What she said on Sunday, about her having to be the grown-up, because none of the rest of us are qualified."

Jess had another couple bites of her sandwich, then washed it down with her cola. Finally she asked, "Kara, do you think it was wrong of me, to want to help Cindy?"

Kara shook her head, "It wasn't wrong. I'm surprised you forgave her so fast though."

Jessica frowned a little. Then she sighed and said quietly, "I think if I'd been awake when it happened, or if I remembered it... That'd be different. But I was unconscious, I don't remember it. And he's not around any more to taunt us or hold it over me. I guess I can kind of pretend it never happened." She hesitated, then added, "And beyond that? I look at Cindy, and I see the lost frightened kid I found on the street... I don't see him. You know?"

Kara considered all of that. "I guess I understand what you mean about not seeing him when you look at her. I mean, there's obviously some of him in there, but she's very different. I mean, not just physically. But... I still don't know that I'd have forgiven her that fast."

Jess nodded. "I'm sure Sam agrees with you. I hope she's not mad at me for that..."

Kara shook her head, "She's definitely mad at you Jess, but not because of that. She's upset because you didn't think things through. And you put your sister in a tough spot. You put all three of you into a tough spot, but she's the most responsible, so she's taking it the hardest."

Jess sighed, "Yeah... I guess I owe her an apology for all this..."

Kara nodded, "Yep."

Jessica drank the last of her soda, then she sat back and looked thoughtful for a few moments.

Kara watched quietly, as Jess started to smile a little.

"Hey Kara? Were you serious, what you said on Sunday? About wanting to move in with me at the condo?"

Kara's eyes widened a little and she felt herself blushing. "Uh... I just meant, it was a really nice place... nice bedroom, great view, big bathroom..."

Jess was still smiling, and nodded, "All that, and a nice big warm comfy bed, too. About the only downside is the commute."

Kara was still blushing, and looked down at her empty plate. "...And since you guys gave me my miracle last week, I'm still having to avoid showering or changing while Kelly's in my room here..."

Jessica asked, "It sounds like you're seriously considering it?"

Kara gulped a little, and admitted, "Maybe... Are you seriously offering? Like, you just got that great room to yourself, are you sure you want to share it with someone?"

Jessica shook her head, "No, I don't want to share it with 'someone'. I'd like to share it with you, though..."

Kara felt her cheeks going brighter red. She whispered, "We talked about this, Jess..." Kara wasn't ready for a relationship. She knew Jess wanted to be more than just friends, but Kara explained she couldn't... Or could she? She hadn't been ready for a relationship because of her dysphoria, but that was gone now.

On the other hand, it had been less than a week. She was still getting used to the changes in her body, getting used to herself.

After a few more moments of awkward silence, Kara finally said, "We'd better get to class... I'll... Let's talk more about this in a day or two."

Jess nodded, and they left the dining hall together.